While I was sewing, I realized that I am a knitter,

with irrepressible sewing urges.  What that means is that I’m not particularly good at it and it’s fussy as all get out but, but, but, the fabrics are so pretty!  Anyway, here is the latest update.  Tertiary squares, (my own personal system of quilt square measurement), into strips:

Wanna have some fun?  Give an anal retentive control freak 53 ‘random’ quilt blocks and tell them to create an attractive set of strips.  Yeah, that took awhile.  Let’s play the hyper-critical game!  Anyway, that took a fair bit of time that I’m never getting back.  Finally I had 8 strips of 6 blocks each.  You think it’s over, don’t you?  No, no, no!  Now we have to make those 8 strips work with each other.  It was such a long afternoon, you have no idea.  Finally, I just threw caution to the wind and ended up with this:

Stella was kind enough to pop in to give the project some scale.  As it stands now, it is 47″ x 70″.

Overall, I think I like it.  From a distance and in photos at least.  Up close, oy.  There is simply no fudging with this quilting business.  Knitting – it has the fudging and I sometimes need that.    I have to find a border, binding, and backing for this behemoth.  Something pretty solid I’m thinking.  The front is so very busy.

Tomorrow my lovely momma is coming to visit.  We’re going to hit the fabric store and then be ladies who lunch. Holidays rule!

Oh, and then after neglecting the garden for two days I popped out there to water and do a status check.  Um, yeah.  Even in our cool and damp weather things are SO growing.

If we were to get two days of actual sunshine in a row, I’m pretty sure the green explosion would be audible out there.  Even without, we’ll be having fresh salad with crunchy radishes within a day or two.  Mmmmmm.

And now, I’m off to knit while the husband plays his new video game.  I was disappointed to discover there are no zombies in it.  Oh well.

Wondrous delicacies from far off places

I may have discovered the new Silk Road.  I was pretty surprised to realize that you can take Skytrain and Seabus to get there too, and that it’s only about an hour from Surrey.  Once there I was guided by the wonderful yarnpiggy who is a native of this amazing land.  Just look at the exotic things we found!

Chocolate, tea, fine china, and luscious olives.  I’ve been having dreams about those huge red olives since I first tasted one a month or so ago.  Mmmmmm.  And let’s not forget the silk portion of the Silk Road.

Hello Handmaiden and Fleece Artist!  These were discovered in the very cute Urban Yarns.  Oh, and I can also highly recommend the food at Burgoo Bistro and more than highly recommend their private label white wine.  Gorgeous.

It was such a wonderful day.  I’m now enjoying some of my new tea in that great Welsh mug.  So awesome.

Indoor Friday night book fun

First off, I’d like to thank everyone for their well wishes for my momma.  She’s feeling much better now.  Turns out she had a stomach parasite.  Nasty.  Thankfully the meds are doing their job and kicking it on out.  I’m sure the healthful thoughts y’all were sending helped too. 

Sorry, no lovely outdoor lighting for this Friday’s book picture.  It’s very mild here but very much on the damp side.  Therefore I bring you books on an island ( a kitchen island, unfortunately)…now avec wine!

Halfway through Throne of Jade and really enjoying it.  I am quite liking this series so far.

Our new book this week is Brothel:  Mustang Ranch and Its Women.  The lovely Kelle suggested it for me after I suggested Thieves and Whores of the Worst Kind to her for thesis reading.  Yeah, we’re all about the light reading.  At least she has an excuse, she’s a criminologist! Sorry, in joke.

Oh, and all those little squares of fabric?  Yeah, those are the secondary sets of quilt squares.  They are just itching to be stitched into tertiary squares and from there, strips o’ fabric.  Then, in theory, the strips will become a couch blankie for spousal unit.

I’m staring down the barrel end of a week’s holidays so with a little bit of gumption on my part I could get the bulk of this done before I’m heading back to the salt mines.

Happy Friday everyone!

Something is eating my salad greens!

And it’s not me!  I suspect that Rattus Barbecues has become Rattus Vegetarianus.  One whole section of a row is gone.  The few leaves that are left have definite little teeth marks in them.

Sigh.  I don’t want to kill rats, I just want to eat vegies 

Next, you take the pieces that you cut small…

and sew them together into bigger pieces.

Next, pressing…and more pressing…and yet more pressing.

That’s my mini counter top ironing board.  Isn’t it cute?  I found it at Value Village years ago for $5.00.

So, now all the primary square are sewn and their seams are pressed.  They will next be linked to one another to make larger squares and eventually those squares will become strips.  With more pressing thrown in for good measure.  Truly and odd hobby.

A busy little Sunday

There was some baking, three kinds of muffins.  Four dozen in total.

Hubby worked on organizing his truck stock in his van.  Abbie was desperate to assist.

We had a bit of sunshine which Jane took advantage of for a little impromptu sun bathing.

Then I flat out lost my mind and started making a quilt.

‘Cause you know, it’s spring and I have a huge garden planted and dogs & cats to take care of and work and blah, blah, blah.

Oh well, seemed like a good idea t the time.

And last but certainly not least, I’d like everyone to send out a positive healthy thought to my mom.  She’s having a bit of a hard time health wise right now and I think a bunch of random happy thoughts would do her a world of good.  Thanks. 

Saturday, not quite as fabulous as Friday but pretty darn close

Everything is coming along.  A bit slowly though as it’s been rather cool here this week.  The big Rhododendron (about 11 or 12 feet tall), is in full bloom and every fat fuzzy bumble bee in Surrey is here.  Legs all covered in pollen in an orgy of springness.

That end of the yard is just a constant low buzzing noise from dawn to dusk.  It’s really kind of wonderful.

And now, for the third sold out week in a row,

Friday!

I’m really starting to like this hitting the library on Friday after work.  I finished His Majesty’s Dragon last week and I really like it.  Fast paced story, interesting characters, DRAGONS!  Anyway, ordered the second one from the library and lo, there she was for me this afternoon.  I also got The Gryphon Project and The Backyard Homestead.  Grow almost all the food you need on 1/4 acre?  Hey!  I just happen to have a 1/4 acre right here.

So, it’s Friday and I am very glad.  It was a rather long and arduous week.  Added bonus is that this is a long weekend.  Mmmmm, Victoria Day.

Beans…and dumplings!!!!

I was starting to worry about the beans.  Not a one had sprouted and they were planted a week ago.  I need not have worried though.  This is what I came home to after knitting today:

Pole beans

The bush beans are also starting to pop out of the ground.  They weren’t quite as spectacular as this little guy though.  I love beans.  When I was a kid, my favourite vegetable was canned French style green beans.  I know, I know.  Heresy, right?  I love beans so much that last year, I bought one of these so I could make my own French beans.  That baby works a treat and it will so be getting a workout from this year’s garden.

In other non-vegetable related news, I made it out to a TCYW meeting today for the first time in a month.  The garden has just been taking all my off-work time and it was so nice to get to see the gals today.    I’ve missed you guys!  Added bit of wonderfulness?  The lovely Nadia was doing a little destashing and I scored some lovely Berocco alpaca and a cake of some really pretty Koolaid green single ply.  I think it wants to be felted….

After our little knit in we headed up to the yarn store. I’d just like to say right here:  Hi, my name is Tammy and it’s been one whole month since I’ve been in a yarn store!  Hi Tammy! <—-  That was your part of this little passion play.

I was very restrained.  I only bought two skeins of a new yarn by Noro called Shirakaba in colour #1, Midnight.  Very pretty and dramatic. A very subdued line of yarn for Noro.  More tonal.  Which is nice, you don’t have to completely cut out one or two colours in a skein because they burn your retinas.  While at the yarn store I found this,

Hmmm, what can it be?

Magic!

Better yet, you can play with them!  Prepare the stitch marker dumpling thusly:

Then do this:

Hours of fun for the whole family!  Feel free to chase the dogs/cats/kids around the house at this point making kissy noises.  Also, wide-eyed geeky look is necessary to achieve optimal fun levels.    I love Hiya-Hiya, they are the Hello Kitty of knitting.

I love you Friday afternoon,

don’t ever leave me again.  K?